Midnight Pleasure all business

ARCADIA, Calif. – For the first time in his career, Midnight Pleasure may be fully focused on racing when he starts in an optional claimer for 3-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita on Friday.

Since finishing second in an optional claimer on dirt May 27, Midnight Pleasure has been gelded. The change has been noticeable, according to owner and trainer Mick Ruis.

“He was rearing up on two legs and wasn’t thinking,” Ruis said of Midnight Pleasure’s past behavior.

Friday’s one-mile race will determine a course of action for Midnight Pleasure at the Del Mar summer meeting. A successful start could lead to an appearance in the $100,000 Oceanside Stakes at a mile on turf for 3-year-olds on July 19, the track’s opening-day feature.

Ruis plans to have a 35-horse stable at Del Mar, with additional runners based at the nearby San Luis Rey Downs training center.

Friday’s program is the first of five days of racing in the final week of the Santa Anita springsummer meeting. Closing day is Tuesday. Los Alamitos opens a two-week summer meeting on July 6.

KEY CONTENDERS

Midnight Pleasure, by Midnight Lute Last 3 Beyers: 85-76-77

◗ Midnight Pleasure was bought for $310,000 at a sale of 2-year-olds in training sale last year, so the decision to geld him was not taken lightly. Last year, Midnight Pleasure was third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and fourth in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes when trained by Ruis’s daughter Shelbe.

Last winter, Midnight Pleasure underwent tieback surgery to aid his breathing, Mick Ruis said.

◗ Midnight Pleasure is winless in three starts this year, including a 10th in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at 1 1/8 miles on April 8.

“We think he can get a mile,” Ruis said. “He has no breathing issues. This is the time to try him.”

Bird Is the Word, by Birdstone Last 3 Beyers: 88-89-88

◗ Bird Is the Word has established turf-stakes form against 3-year-olds, having finished fourth in the Pasadena Stakes in March, second in the Singletary Stakes in May, and fourth in the Rainbow Stakes on June 10.

◗ Trained by former jockey G.F. Almeida, Bird Is the Word won a maiden race at a mile on turf in January and has had 10 starts.

Elwood J, by Vronsky Last 3 Beyers: 78-82-63

◗ Elwood J has raced in stakes for California-breds in his last three starts, including a second in the Silky Sullivan Stakes on turf at Golden Gate Fields on April 30. In his last start, Elwood J was seventh in the Snow Chief Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf May 29, setting the pace before fading in the final furlong.

◗ Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Elwood J has yet to win on turf but was third in two starts on the hillside turf course in February and March, including the minor Baffle Stakes.